Soy Chicken in the Varoma

This recipe is based on a recipe in Kylie Kwong's book "Simple Chinese Cooking". The recipe has been adapted and a further adaptation would be to joint the chicken before steaming. That would reduce the cooking time and enable a larger bird to be used.

It is a simple dish and the marinade can be reserved like a master stock to be used again.



Soy Sauce Chicken in the Varoma

Ingredients:

1 x 1.3 kg chicken
2 garlic cloves
2 cm piece of fresh ginger
1 cup shao hsing wine, or dry sherry
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
2 strips of orange rind, cut
with vegetable peeler
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1200 g water
4 spring onions, trimmed and cut in half
Cornflour, to thicken sauce, if desired

Method:

Place the garlic and ginger into the TM bowl and mince for 15 seconds on speed 7. Add all other ingredients except chicken and spring onions to TM bowl and cook for 20 minutes at 100°C on reverse + speed 2.

Wash the chicken and remove any excess fat from the cavity. Place the spring onions inside the cavity and then push down on the back bone of the bird to flatten it a little. Now, either place the chicken into a roasting bag or, breast side down, into a deep dish that will fit into the Varoma and place marinade in the bag or dish. Leave any marinade that does not fit into the bag or bowl in the TM bowl. Place the bag or bowl inside the Varoma.


Put more water into the TM bowl to make up to 1200 ml, position the lid and then Varoma and steam the chicken for 30 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 2. If using the bowl, you will need to carefully turn over the bird during cooking to allow it to be properly marinated.

After the steaming time has elapsed, if the bird is in the roasting bag and completely immersed in liquid, then just leave in the bag for 2 hours to cool. If you have used a bowl, then carefully remove the chicken to a pot or dish that will allow you to completely immerse the bird with marinade form the dish in the Varoma and the liquid from the TM bowl. Again, leave to cool for 2 hours. It needs to stay in the marinade to cook through.

Once cooked, carefully remove to a tray to drain and cool. Place 500ml of the marinade in the TM bowl and cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 3. You may add some cornflour mixed with water to thicken the sauce more. Allow to cool.

To serve, chop chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a platter and spoon over some sauce.